Electron emitting element, electron emitting device, light emitting device, image display device, air blowing device, cooling device, charging device, image forming apparatus, electron-beam curing device, and method for producing electron emitting element

Abstract

An electron emitting element of the present invention includes an electron acceleration layer between an electrode substrate and a thin-film electrode. The electron acceleration layer includes a binder component in which insulating fine particles and conductive fine particles are dispersed. Therefore, the electron emitting element of the present invention is capable of preventing degradation of the electron acceleration layer and can efficiently and steadily emit electrons not only in vacuum but also under the atmospheric pressure. Further, the electron emitting element of the present invention can be formed so as to have an improved mechanical strength.

Description

[0001]This Nonprovisional application claims priority under U.S.C. §119(a) on Patent Applications No. 2009-041150 filed in Japan on Feb. 24, 2009, 2009-117862 and 2009-117867 both filed in Japan on May 14, 2009, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.TECHNICAL FIELD [0002]The present invention relates to an electron emitting element and the like for emitting electrons by application of a voltage.BACKGROUND ART [0003]A Spindt-type electrode and a carbon nanotube electrode (CNT) have been known as conventional electron emitting elements. Applications of such conventional electron emitting elements to, for example, the field of Field Emission Display (FED) have been studied. Such electron emitting elements are caused to emit electrons by tunnel effect resulting from formation of an intense electric field of approximately 1 GV / m that is produced by application of a voltage to a pointed section.[0004]However, each of these two types of the electron emitting ele...

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Benefits of technology

[0025]As described above, in the electron emitting element of the present invention, the electron acceleration layer includes a binder component in which the insulating material and the conductive fine particles are dispersed.

[0026]According to the arrangement, there is provided, between the electrode substrate and the thin-film electrode, the electron acceleration layer including the binder component. In the binder component, the insulating material and the conductive fine particles are dispersed. This electron acceleration layer is a thin-film layer in which the insulating material and the conductive fine particles are dispersed in the binder component, and the electron acceleration layer has a semiconductive property. When a voltage is applied to the semiconductive electron acceleration layer, current flow occurs in the electron acceleration layer. A part of electrons in the current become ballistic electrons due to an intense electric field produced by the applied voltage and the ballistic electrons are emitted. The conductive fine particles are dispersed in the binder component, that is, the binder component is present around the conductive fine particles. This makes element degradation due to oxidation caused by oxygen in the atmosphere difficult to occur. Therefore, the electron emitting element can be steadily operated not only in vacuum but also under the atmospheric pressure.

[0027]Further, because the insulating material and the conductive fine particles are dispersed in the binder component, aggregation is difficult to occur. Accordingly, performance of the electron emitting element becomes uniform, and steady electron supply becomes possible. Furthermore, the binder component has a high adhesiveness with respect to the electrode substrate and a high mechanical strength. In addition, the binder component improves smoothness of a surface of the electron acceleration layer, so that the thin-film electrode on the electron acceleration layer can be formed thinly. Therefore, the electron emitting element of the present invention can have a thin electron acceleration layer in which the insulating material and the conductive fine particles are substantially evenly dispersed. As a result, the electron emitting element of the present invention has uniform performance and a high mechanical strength.

[0028]In this way, the electron emitting element of the present invention can prevent degradation of the electron emitting layer and can efficiently and steadily emit electrons not only in vacuum but also under the atmospheric pressure. Further, the electron emitting element of the present invention can have a higher mechanical strength.

[0029]As described above, the electron emitting element of the present invention includes a binder component in which conductive fine particles and insulating fine particles that have an average particle diameter greater than an average particle diameter of the conductive fine particles are dispersed. Further, the conductive fine particles are dispersed in large numbers on a side of the thin-film electrode in the electron acceleration layer.

[0030]According to the arrangement, there is provided, between the electrode substrate and the thin-film electrode, the electron acceleration layer including the binder component. In the binder component, the insulating fine particles and the conductive fine particles are dispersed. This electron acceleration layer is a thin-film layer in which the insulating fine particles and the conductive fine particles are dispersed in the binder component, and the electron acceleration layer has a semiconductive property. When a voltage is applied to the semiconductive electron acceleration layer, current flow occurs in the electron acceleration layer. A part of electrons in the current become ballistic electrons due to an intense electric field produced by the applied voltage and the ballistic electrons are emitted.

Problems solved by technology

This causes a problem of breakdown of the element due to sputtering.

Ozone is harmful to human bodies, and oxidizes various substances because of its strong oxidizing power.

This causes a problem in that members around the element are damaged.

In order to prevent this problem, the members used around the electron emitting element are limited to members that have high resistance to ozone.

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